COP17 concludes in Mongolia without concrete drought agreements

The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) concluded in Mongolia without reaching concrete agreements to address global droughts. While the summit saw some progress regarding financing mechanisms for vulnerable nations and tools for prevention and adaptation, several proposals from indigenous peoples, local communities, women, and youth were blocked. These excluded topics are scheduled to be addressed in two years at COP18 in Egypt.

Alongside the summit, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released the ‘Status of the World’s Soil Resources 2026’ report. The report warns that global soil degradation is worsening, while the implementation of sustainable soil management practices—which have proven effective in protecting and restoring land—is not occurring at the necessary speed or scale. The FAO emphasized that erosion remains a major threat to global soil resources.